I might date myself here, but it's probably worth it.
What do you dream of? What's the next step in your life? What place are you headed to next?
A lot of us look at getting to the next level as the Pinnacle. As an achievement to be excited about. And rightly so, for there are many achievements in reaching the next level.
But if you've ever played the classic arcade games you know that the next level tends to look a lot like the one you are on now. The same with more difficulty and effort involved. And while that may not sound like a success it can very much a great achievement.
This is meant to be an encouragement. You are going to have success and it's going to look a lot like where you are right now. And that's a good thing.it means you can enjoy life as it is. For the amazing things you are already doing right now. Like playing videogames, you get to enjoy those levels and trying to beat your high score. Games like Pac-man, Donkey Kong, and Galaga, we're all amazing because you would try to beat high scores on levels that were similar to what you had already played.
The same is life. You try to do better and better at the same things but grow. And do better each time.
So get going, get to that next level, but enjoy the level you're working on now.
Love,
Joseph Bohan
One of the Real Ones.

There’s this girl I’ve known for a long time, and we’re close, but I’ve had a huge crush on her for a while. Her birthday is coming up soon and I want to ask her out, but I don’t have the courage.
Any advice?
For context, I have made her a picture and bought her a game I know she really wants, but I don’t know where to go from here.

My friend texted me this on Wednesday.
"HAILEY"
"Heads up, Bailey isn't happy about you talking to people from other coun tries and told her mom. Her mom is going to call your mom."
Also apparently, let's call her Bailey, thinks it’s a, “Cry for help”? And somehow is under the impression that I’m starving myself.
Might I add, from the moment I became her friend, she never treated me right.
I was always the backup friend too.
A few months ago she basically stopped talking to me all together, other than when she was yelling at me for no reason.
She didn’t come talk to me about the fact that I talk to people online.
She didn’t ask me about the whole “starving myself” thing (which I’m not by the way).
She’s been manipulative and I’ve had enough of it.
By the way, my mom is aware that I’m talking to people from other countries.
(Just a warning, I copied this from when I explained it to a friend so if things don’t make sense or you have a question, ask me.)
But also, I don’t think Bailey’s a bad person.
I can see the good in her. I know she’s a good person.
There’s a part of me that worries I’m overreacting and still wants to try to be her friend, despite everything.

Basically my feeling for my friend grew over time and I'm not handling it very well internally.
She has a good crush friend and she did something or said something that caused her pain. And they had trouble since then because she didn't notice it.
And that seems to be from how her friend is acting from the joke that she did. And she has trouble talking about her feelings with her friend.
We talked about it and she forgave me, but it goes deeper than that.
Basically I still feel bad about the situation and my feelings for her keep growing. And it's driving me crazy. I constantly fear the thought of her leaving me.

This is a minor thing and I would want this question thing to be taken last if possible. I can't play chess more than like once an hour after I lose, because I always lose by making a blunder and I just know that in all around playing im better, but I screw up and lose the game because I miss something and this really makes me angry so I cant play.

I am currently in an College Algebra class and though it is not my best subject I do the best I can! I do well with the homework but when it comes to tests or quizzes I usually don't do well because I either mix symbols up or I miss write something that causes me to mess everything up! I used to hate math with a passion! I still hate it because I don't really use it when I create art, if I were to do math that involves art I would use Geometry and even then I don't want to do it! I am glad you want to go into psychology and to be honest you shouldn't give up what you want to do! I actually write myself notes in math and then will redo a problem as often as possible until I eventually either give up or am satisfied with what I have done. I know how you feel and if you would like some help I am more than happy to help the best I can! I could even send you pictures of my notes and try my best to explain if you want! But no matter what don't give up on what you want to do just because of something that is difficult, I know you can do it! I hope what I have said makes sense and helps you! Best of luck!

I understand what you are talking about and to be honest you have so many opportunities! It is a good thing that you are looking forward and if you really want to write, if that is your dream then go for it! I want to teach and I only have one try left to be in the education program and if I don't get in, I have a back up plan and I will still be able to teach art, I will still be able to teach my passion! You are doing so much more than I would and that is amazing!! You have different opportunities and you should go with what makes you happy and what you believe will give you the success you desire for a job! I don't know if what I said makes sense or helps but I am rooting for you with whatever you choose to do! You will go far!

I'm scared right now, but my hands are also trembling with excitement. My finals are coming, and with it the semester break too. So I've been studying Electrical Engineering for the past 3 semesters, 2 more before I get my diploma. I left secondary school without much of direction other than an offer to a Uni, and I'm glad I took it. It got me some fresh air, a start in another state. While I wanted fresh air, I'm too used of living in the past. It burned onto me, the regrets I've had. So much for moving on, the voices are spitting fire, roasting me. My soul; the flame in my chest grew uncontrollably and have been engulfing everything around me. To handle the guilt, I've been succumbing to my less emphatic side I used to dominantly have. I've been having twisted sense of morality, to say the least. My performance in studies haven't been the best too.
However, all is not lost. While the flames seem to be a force of destruction, they actually herald change, and change isn't necessarily bad. The King of Birds, Phoenix is an example. The flames it had symbolises its ability to change, rebirth. From the ashes of the previous life, another Phoenix rises. If you ask me, I'd like to rise again. An opportunity... well two new opportunities were presented before me over the experience I have been studying here. I got three options though, and the first is to continue with engineering. I don't hate it, but let's just say my love for it wasn't as strong as before. A lot happened last year and I've been struggling to keep up, I'm being a burden in the field I respected. I'm still having this option open because I believe in coming back, but dear Lord I'm just tired these days. The second opportunity came from a senior who has a very enviable performance. He led a double life as both a ghost writer and university student. He told me I could still have this dream, I could still write. I've been keeping close watch to the business now, but it's quite the gamble. I dream of writing literature materials for my country's Secondary level English study, as none of the local material made it into our textbooks. I wanted to represent the people, but competition with known Singaporean and Hong Kong's work seem to be a problem. I think that will change one day, one of us will be able to represent all of us. It might not be me, but I'll still write. That brings us to the third opportunity, MUET. It is an English test for University level that'll have its own certificate. There's 6 level of grades, with Band 6 to be the highest. I finally could go home again recently, and was able to talk with my father about my current standing with my studies.I haven't been happy anymore, and he knows it. So we came to an agreement, I could choose to either continue studying engineering for my degree or move to Taking English as a Second Language (TESL). To do so, I'll have to score at least Band 4. Scoring isn't an issue though, what comes after might be. I'll jump into something new again, this time at the capital. Students over at capital don't have the best reputation if I may be direct. Then there's job opportunities, I'll have to scrap almost all of the companies I've been watching. English might be a global language, but landing a job with just it might prove difficult. I could apply to teach, but my personality that's rather unattractive proved me wrong last time I did. So I'm considering taking a third language too, just so I could work on fields like translations. So yeah, I finally am looking forward. I just don't know what I could do right now.

I am currently in a Intercultural Communication class, as to help with me being able to speak out properly in order to be a teacher. I sit by myself in the first row of the classroom and there are three guys that sit behind me. I usually can talk to a guy if there is just one. But there are three and I was kind of intimidated and in this class we have to have partners for discussion and because I am the only one in the first row, I have to talk to these guys. Well we had to talk about what we consider good things in culture and bad things in culture. The guy that sits in the middle ended up talking about a rapper that I had never heard of and asked if I thought he was bad and I just gave a confused look. He ended up naming some of the songs and I ended up making a sassy remark that is not me! I literally replied "I don't listen to crap! I listen to Celtic music!" And the guys looked at me surprised and ended up laughing and I for some reason I didn't feel bad about it. I am actually confused on where I got that confidence and sassiness from, because I don't usually talk like that to strangers. I feel a bit more comfortable around them now after that but I am still quiet and shy.
What should I do to try and get that confidence to speak and discuss things more easily, without being so sassy?
-Kendra-

Quite frankly, I hate math with a passion i cannot express in 'child-friendly' words. To be more specific, I hate algebra. I've tried calculus in the past, and It just doesnt work, either, but right now... I've just started an algebra class for like the third time, and quite frankly, i'm absolutely sick of it. It gives me nothing to work with, and nothing to generate answers from, unlike statistics, which makes sense. This is probably the third time i've had to take this stupid class, and i'm already struggling with the very basics. AGAIN. I've had so much trouble in the past that i've developed some kind of PTSD regarding this stuff- i'm already annoyed when i sit down, and i can stay calm for a while, but once I get the problem on paper... I have no idea where to go from there, and I basically have an emotional meltdown because I can never get a straight answer from anything on how to do it.
No matter how many times I tke it, or have it explained to me, it just doesn't work, yet it's REQUIRED to get a job in the psychology field (cause the domain of f(x)='You're crazy!' after all! Didn't you know that?! Man, it's so useful in this person-focused field!)
I'm pretty sure I cant just go freelancer like you can with music, because this field is regulated..
Please. What should I do? I'm tired of trying and failing and being frustrated and stuck... But I have no choice, unless I want to get a different job... This is the kind of thing that sends me into a spiral of depression, yet i'm forced to suffer through it...

Hey Friends, just wanted to make sure we make mention of our good friend Ro Draws. She's a fantastic artist who makes some wonderful videos.
Go to her youtube and check her out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rozanimation/featured
Go patreonize her at: https://www.patreon.com/RoDraws
Yes, this is a shameless plug.
No, I wasn't asked to do this.
Yes, you should click all of the links.
No, you shouldn't ever leave bss.studio.
Yes, you should visit other web pages.
No, you shouldn't ever close this internet tab.
See you guys/gals out there.
The below was from the last contest I ran. All right belong to her. But I wanted you to see the amazingness.

Today I was talking to some of my friends and after sitting in silence by myself for a bit, I realized I talked a lot about myself and my family.
Usually after I am done talking, I feel like I talked to much. I feel guilty about talking to much and feel a bit embarrassed, because I don't mean to talk that much.
I feel as if I didn't let my friends get their word in and I didn't mean to talk about myself.
I try to not talk about myself because I am afraid I am revealing too much. How can I stop feeling guilty?

Update 1/16/19 I got fired from that job by the way last month
I talked to the guy for a while even after posting harassment, but I eventually cut it off and I'm still wondering if that was such a good idea
The reason I got fired has nothing to do with the harassment reporting in case anyone is wondering
The reason I got fired is because I got really depressed to the point where I couldn't hide it and I couldn't care about the job no mattered how hard I tried
It was harassment because he kept grabbing my butt even after I told him to stop
I really hated the job too and it just made me miserable
There are also more problems in my life I'm dealing with
Yeah, but now I'm broke. I have a job interview coming up, but there's no guarantee I'll get it
Even if I get the job I'll probably get fired again
I hung out with my best friend/ girl crush earlier today, but something about it felt weird. I'm usually really happy when I see her, but this time I felt sad

I'm scared right now, but my hands are also trembling with excitement. My finals are coming, and with it the semester break too. So I've been studying Electrical Engineering for the past 3 semesters, 2 more before I get my diploma. I left secondary school without much of direction other than an offer to a Uni, and I'm glad I took it. It got me some fresh air, a start in another state. While I wanted fresh air, I'm too used of living in the past. It burned onto me, the regrets I've had. So much for moving on, the voices are spitting fire, roasting me. My soul; the flame in my chest grew uncontrollably and have been engulfing everything around me. To handle the guilt, I've been succumbing to my less emphatic side I used to dominantly have. I've been having twisted sense of morality, to say the least. My performance in studies haven't been the best too.
However, all is not lost. While the flames seem to be a force of destruction, they actually herald change, and change isn't necessarily bad. The King of Birds, Phoenix is an example. The flames it had symbolises its ability to change, rebirth. From the ashes of the previous life, another Phoenix rises. If you ask me, I'd like to rise again. An opportunity... well two new opportunities were presented before me over the experience I have been studying here. I got three options though, and the first is to continue with engineering. I don't hate it, but let's just say my love for it wasn't as strong as before. A lot happened last year and I've been struggling to keep up, I'm being a burden in the field I respected. I'm still having this option open because I believe in coming back, but dear Lord I'm just tired these days. The second opportunity came from a senior who has a very enviable performance. He led a double life as both a ghost writer and university student. He told me I could still have this dream, I could still write. I've been keeping close watch to the business now, but it's quite the gamble. I dream of writing literature materials for my country's Secondary level English study, as none of the local material made it into our textbooks. I wanted to represent the people, but competition with known Singaporean and Hong Kong's work seem to be a problem. I think that will change one day, one of us will be able to represent all of us. It might not be me, but I'll still write. That brings us to the third opportunity, MUET. It is an English test for University level that'll have its own certificate. There's 6 level of grades, with Band 6 to be the highest. I finally could go home again recently, and was able to talk with my father about my current standing with my studies.I haven't been happy anymore, and he knows it. So we came to an agreement, I could choose to either continue studying engineering for my degree or move to Taking English as a Second Language (TESL). To do so, I'll have to score at least Band 4. Scoring isn't an issue though, what comes after might be. I'll jump into something new again, this time at the capital. Students over at capital don't have the best reputation if I may be direct. Then there's job opportunities, I'll have to scrap almost all of the companies I've been watching. English might be a global language, but landing a job with just it might prove difficult. I could apply to teach, but my personality that's rather unattractive proved me wrong last time I did. So I'm considering taking a third language too, just so I could work on fields like translations. So yeah, I finally am looking forward. I just don't know what I could do right now.